Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A compact dispenser having about 20 inches of platform travel for a load range of about 30 to 400 pounds is realized in a lever spring system having a travel of about 10 inches by utilizing adjustable pivot point for the spring resistance arm of the system.

[111 3,807,821 Apr. 30, 1974 United States Patent [1 1 Olsson mm m m .e t. m mm m m m m ei w mwmmmwm BGGRRK 7754828 5656676 99w9999 NWWN W 1 4609436 0625375 2030 50 8 4837 2323333 ms C .m h e P m e y t L .m w W E M a r m 2 m m w 0 l u c C n I m F .2 m m m R F N J E v m n m E m n P n .m d E w s b D .m A F l l 4 5 3 2 5 7 7 2 [l l 21 Appl. No.: 275,132

Primary ExaminerPaul R. Gilliam Altomey, Agent, or Firm-George W. Price; Walter Lewis [52] US. 312/71, 211/49 [51] Int. A471 l/00, B65g 1/16 [58] Field of Search 108/136, 147; 220/93;

[57] ABSTRACT A compact dispenser having about 20 inches of f0 platrm travel for a load range of about 30 to 400 pounds [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS is realized in a lever spring system having a travel of about 10 inches by utilizing adjustable pivot point for 3,694,044 9/1972 Cummings 3,722,970 3/1973 Healy.....'... 2,604,996 7/1952 a m r m m F W e n m m m m m D 8 m I, e c i. we 1 m .g n n W e m 3 wm m m 2 28 m PATENTEDAPR 30 m4 SHEET 1 OF 4 FIG.

PATEMEBAPR 30 m4 SHEEI 2 0F 4 FIG PATENTEDAPR 30 mm 3807 821 sum 3' or 4 I ammo m4 SHEET t 0F FIG.7

FIG.8

DISPENSER.

This invention relates to a dispenser, and more particularly, to an improved platform type dispenser.

In the prior art pulley, lever and spring systems are used 'to obtain uniform rate of travel of the platform in response to load. Means are provided to make an adjustment in this rate. However the shortcomings of the prior art are that the adjustment range is limited or it becomes necessary to add, subtract or change the springs or to use several different rated dispensers to cover a wide range of loads.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings of the prior art and to provide other advantages such as a dispenser-having low costs and simplicity of operation and manufacture.

Briefly, the invention provides a dispenser which can be readily manually adjusted to handle a wide load range, and without the need for adding, subtracting or changing springs. For example, in the illustrated form of the invention a cantilever type platform has a range of travel of about 20 inches and can handle loads of from about 30 to 400 pounds. In the prior art it was necessary to add, subtract or change springs or to use several different rated dispensers to handle the same range.

In the drawings, 7

FIG. 1 is a rear view of the invention with the device adjusted for a low load setting and the platform lowered a short distance;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the platform lowered all the way;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is aside view taken from the left;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged views of isolated portions of the device; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 but for maximum load setting.

Briefly, see FIG. 1, the device comprises a platform 10 connected by a pulley belt 11, 12 system to a system of three levers or arms 13, 14, 15 and springs 16. The levers 15 which are loaded by the springs 16 are called resistance arms. Their bottom pivot 17 is infinitely adjust able along a screw' 18 in a manner to be described hereinafter, so that a wide range of loads can be handled without the need for adding, subtracting or changing springs as in the prior art.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the device has an upright rectangular shaped frame 9 constructed from side, top and bottom frame members 19, 20, 21 and which is closed by front and back panels 22, 23. The platform 10 is of the cantilever type, see FIG. 3,, and as will be obvious to those skilled in the art the frame 9 has to be mounted vertically in a not shown bottom support or the like, and the platform is intended to be covered by a not shown flat shelf or the like. One end of the belts 12 are fixed to the frame 9 at points 24 and extend around the pulleys 11 for connection at their opposite ends to points 25 at opposite sides of platform 10. The belts 12 pass around pulleys 11' mounted at the upper end of the lever arms 13 and in this way movement of platform 10 is resisted by the lever and spring system 13-16.

The portion of the platform 10 in front of the panel 22 has a pair of arms 10' which extend into the frame 9 where they are connected to roller plates 10". The platform is guided up and down by tracks 26 positioned inside the side frame members 19. The tracks 26 are engaged by rollers 27 mounted on opposite ends of roller plates 10".

A pair of front and back vertical support plates 28 bridge the top and bottom frame members 20, 21. The loads placed on the platform 10 are ultimately transferred by the lever spring system 13-16 through these support plates 28 to the frame 9.

The lever spring system 13-16 will now be described. The lever arms 13 are pivoted at their bottom ends to the lower ends of the support plates 28 at pivot point 29, see also FIG. 5. This pivot 29 also carries the right hand end of adjusting screw 18. Screw 18 is rotated by a flexible cable 30, which is rotated by an adjusting rod 31 which in turn is rotated by a small hand crank 32 positioned atthe upper right hand corner of frame 9. The lower end of rod 31 is connected to the upper end of cable 30 by a coupling 33 which is steadied by, a strap 34 mounted on one of the support plates 28. The other end of cable 30 is connected to the screw 18 by coupling 35, and the left hand end of screw is unsupported, that is to say, free floating.

The levers 14, which are called adjusting arms, are connected at their upper ends to the support plates 28 at pivot point36 which is located slightly above the center of the support plates 28. At their lower ends the adjusting arms 14 carry the infinitely adjustable pivot point 17, see also FIG. 6, for the lower ends of the resistance arms 15. The adjusting screw 18 is threaded through the pivot 17 so that when screw 18 is turned the pivot 17 for the resistance arms 15 is moved to right or left.

To facilitate ease ofmanufacture from an assembly point of view, and in order to make it easy to service the springs 16 the lower ends of the resistance arms 15 have a quick removable connection with the pivot 17 which requires no tools. By referring to FIG. 6 it will be seen that the lower ends of resistance arms 15 have semi-circular bearing surfaces 37 which merely removably rest upon or engage the pivot 17.

The upper ends of resistance arms 15 are interconnected by a pivot 38. A spring hanger 39 mounted on pivot 38 has the upper ends of springs 16 connected thereto. The lower ends of the springs 16 have a similar spring hanger 39. The lower spring hanger has an adjustable connection with the lower ends of the lever arms 13 at pivot point 40 just above the pivot 29, see FIG. 5. The adjustable connection comprises a pair of adjusting screws 41 which extend-through the pivot 40 into opposite ends of a short rod 42 extending through the center of the lower spring hanger 39. When the screws 41 are turned the springs 16 can be tensioned or relaxed to make initial and fine adjustments. The main adjustment point however for handling the wide 30 to 400 pound load range for the about 20 inches of travel of the platform 10 is at the pivot point l7'and screw 18.

When lever arms 13 move right to left the upper ends of the resistance arms 15 move along the upper edges of the lever arms 13. This change of position of the upper ends of resistance arms 15 with respect to the upper ends of the lever arms 13 causes the lever-spring system to be somewhat non-linear. However, this is corrected by appropriately contoured cams 13 connected to the upper ends of lever arms 13. These earns 13 are engaged by rollers 15' positioned on the pivot 38 at the upper ends of resistance arms 15.

It should be noted that the force of springs 16 or the loads are not placed on the adjusting screw 18. This is because the adjusting arms 14 are suspended off the support plates 28 and the forces or loads imposed on the resistance arms 15 are actually transferred to the adjustment arms 14 by virtue of the pivotal connection 17 they have with each other at their lower ends. To put it another way, if the adjusting arms 14 were omitted the left hand end of the screw 18 would have to be supported in the left side frame member 19, which would obstruct the left hand cantilever and in addition the forces or loads imposed on the resistance arms would be directly imposed on the screw 18 at the pivotal connection 17 therebetween. What this means, is that under high loads the screw might bend, and in any event, it would be almost impossible to make any adjustment under load because it would be very difficult to rotate the screw with respect to pivot 17. By contrast, in the invention because of the adjustment arms 14 the left hand end of screw 18 does not have to be supported, it isnt necessary to beef up the screw 18 for load bearing capability, and in addition, since theres no load imposed by the resistance arms 15 on the screw 18 through the pivot 17 but instead on the lever arm suspended adjustment arms 14, the screw 18 can be very easily rotated with respect to the pivot 17 to adjust the position of the latter along the length of the former even when the platform is loaded.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the lever arms 13 move right to left through a distance of about 10 inches for about 20 inches of travel of the platform, and this is for a load range of about 30 to 400 4 pounds. From a size point of view these distances mean that the device can be relatively very small or compact when compared to prior art units having the same load capability.

What I claim to be my invention is:

1. An adjustable spring loaded lever resistance system for a load dispenser platform, said system comprising a first lever, said first lever having a fixed pivotal mounting at one end thereof and at the other end thereof being adapted for free pivotal movement about said one end in response to load on said platform, means resisting said pivotal movement, said resisting means comprising a second lever positioned in spaced relationship alongside said first lever, said second lever having pivoted and free ends corresponding to the pivoted and free ends of said first lever, and an elongated spring connected at its opposite ends to adjacent the pivoted end of said first lever and the free end of said second lever to bias the free end of said second lever against the free end of said first lever to resist said pivotal movement of said first lever, and means for adjusting the spacial position of the pivoted ends of said two levers with respect to each other to thereby adjust the load rate of travel of said platform, said adjusting means comprising a shaft extending through the pivotal mountings of both said levers, a threaded connection between said shaft and the pivotal mounting of said second lever, and means for manually rotating said shaft to adjust the spacing of said second lever pivotal mounting with respect to the fixed pivotal mounting of said first lever. 

1. An adjustable spring loaded lever resistance system for a load dispenser platform, said system comprising a first lever, said first lever having a fixed pivotal mounting at one end thereof and at the other end thereof being adapted for free pivotal movement about said one end in response to load on said platform, means resisting said pivotal movement, said resisting means comprising a second lever positioned in spaced relationship alongside said first lever, said second lever having pivoted and free ends corresponding to the pivoted and free ends of said first lever, and an elongated spring connected at its opposite ends to adjacent the pivoted end of said first lever and the free end of said second lever to bias the free end of said second lever against the free end of said first lever to resist said pivotal movement of said first lever, and means for adjusting the spacial position of the pivoted ends of said two levers with respect to each other to thereby adjust the load rate of travel of said platform, said adjusting means comprising a shaft extending through the pivotal mountings of both said levers, a threaded connection between said shaft and the pivotal mounting of said second lever, and means for manually rotating said shaft to adjust the spacing of said second lever pivotal mounting with respect to the fixed pivotal mounting of said first lever. 